The Downfall of Gellert Grindelwald
by theanonymouslibrarians
Summary: With Grindelwald in control of America, Percival Graves does all he can to bring his soulmate down and save his friends. Companion fic to Thanks for the Memories.
1. Chapter 1

The Downfall of Gellert Grindelwald

By theanonymouslibrians

Note: Don't own Fantastic Beasts. This is a soulmate au, companion fic to Thanks for the Memories.

Graves flinched as another bolt of lightning rent the sky. The boat itself was safe. He'd enchanted it to bear up against the elements and the water, and it steered itself, which was good because he didn't know the first thing about sailing. Graves hoped that lapse of knowledge would help him escape detection long enough so that the boat could get within apparation distance of Europe. He called it a boat, but really it was little more than a canoe with a roof. No passenger boats had left America in over a month. Not since Grindelwald had taken over.

Just thinking about the self-proclaimed ruler of America made Graves spasm, and he had to fill his head with other faces. Newt. Tina. Theseus. Gell-NO! Graves plunged a hand over the side of the boat and into the ice cold water. When all he could think about was getting warm, the former auror pulled it out again and cradled it against his chest.

It had been like this the first time. When M.A.C.U.S.A had rescued him, after he'd spent almost a year in his soulmate's presence, it had been like going into withdrawal. Not that he'd told anyone that was the reason for him having panic attacks every fifteen minutes or so. Everyone had assumed it was a result of some form of torture. The truth, Graves sometimes thought, was worse. Despite hating everything the man stood for. Despite not being able to go a single day without having some form of argument with the man. Graves' had become dependent on being near his soulmate, Gellert Grindelwald.

….

 _Graves dove behind a sofa, a jet of red light hitting the wall behind him. The duel had been in progress for over an hour with neither him nor Grindelwald_ _gaining the high ground. For some reason, it was harder than usual for Graves to fire combative spells. There was a sense of remorse that hit him every time one of his spells made contact with Grindelwald, and he felt the urge to stop fighting. Percival's wand wasn't cooperating either. His spells seemed to be less powerful than usual, and no matter how clear a shot he had, his aim was almost always slightly off. Grindelwald_ _must have fired some type of jinx, but Graves wasn't familiar with it. Luckily, Grindelwald_ _didn't seem to be aiming to kill or even seriously harm. Few of the curses had hit Graves, and the ones that had hadn't hurt him much._

 _Judging by the fact that none of the aurors_ _on his team had shown up, Graves guessed that none of his patronuses_ _had made it out of the room, and that a silencing charm had been cast . He could break it if he had more than a few seconds to breathe, but Grindelwald_ _would be on him soon. So he was alone in this. He took a deep breath and threw himself over the edge of the sofa, firing a volley of stunning spells at the room in front of him, hoping at least one would_ _hit Grindelwald._

 _But the man was nowhere in sight. Frowning, Graves took a step forward, eyes scanning the room. There was nowhere to hide. Unless Grindelwald_ _ducked into the bedroom, but—a hand closed around his wrist, twisting it until Graves was forced to drop his wand. He was whirled around to face Grindelwald. A burning sensation started on Percival's back. Was Grindelwald_ _doing something to his spine? Or his skin?_

" _You've proven a much more difficult opponent than I originally planned for. You'll have to tell me how you managed to get my wand to shoot off course. But_ _I'm afraid it's time our duel's come to an end."_

 _Grindelwald_ _was breathing heavily, Graves noted with a certain sense of satisfaction. If he was going to die, at least he had given the other man a run for his money. It was odd, but as Grindelwald_ _pressed the tip of his wand to Percival's temple, Graves had_ _never felt safer._

… _.._

 _When he woke up, it was to his shirt being ripped from his torso. Graves tried to push his attacker away, but his hands were yanked away by invisible ropes, pulling them out to his sides. A finger stroked a place between his shoulder blades and then he was unceremoniously pushed forwards and his hands released. He turned to see Grindelwald_ _staring at him, panic and rage mingled on his face._

" _The hell-"_

" _Did you know?" The other wizard asked_ _in an accusing tone._

 _And there's a hundred different things Graves should be trying to do right now, but all he could do was ask, "What?"_

 _They were in a spartan_ _looking room, whose only furniture was a bed and a lamp. There were two doors (both of which Graves was sure were locked). Grindelwald_ _stood in front of him, dressed only in a pair of black trousers, and looking at Graves as if the director had murdered the man's whole family._

" _Did. You. Know?" Grindelwald_ _asked again, his fury clearly increasing._

" _What the hell are you talking about?" Percival took a step back. This wasn't the rather smug man that had greeted him on Graves' return to the hotel room. Now, Grindelwald_ _seemed almost unhinged, and Graves had absolutely no idea what he was supposed to have done._

" _This!" Hissing, Grindelwald_ _turned around to face the other wall._

" _What is that supposed to-"_

" _The mark you dimwit!" Grindelwald_ _roared._

 _Graves looked at Grindelwald's back and noticed a small crescent moon shaped scar right on_ _man's ight_ _shoulder. "I don't understand. Look, my team-"_

 _The man turned swiftly to face him. "It's a soulmark_ _and you have one, too. In the same place. Mine wasn't there before tonight, and I'm guessing yours wasn't either." He threw the words at Graves like an accusation, as if Graves was behind the situation and had planned it all along._

 _A sickening feeling took hold of Percival as he absorbs Grindelwald's_ _words. "That's…it's a lie… you-"_

 _The soulmate phenomena was_ _uncommon but not so much as to be rare. About one in every twenty people had someone with whom they felt an undeniable bond. Or at least that was what healers thought. Since the marks and effects only appeared once the person had met his or her so-called soulmate and some people probably didn't report their discovery, for all they knew everyone could have a soulmate and just not know it. Sometimes the bond was romantic, other times platonic. The pair simply couldn't imagine life without each other. Each relationship was different and Graves hadn't researched it well enough to fully understand the phenomena, but he knew that he didn't want to be Gellert Grindelwald's soulmate._

 _Grindelwald waved a hand at the wall behind Graves, and Percival glanced over his shoulder to see that it had been transformed into a mirror. He could see a matching mark on his own shoulder that hadn't been there before._

 _He wanted to believe that this was some trick. That Grindelwald_ _had done this. That he was trying to play some kind of game with Percival. But Graves remembered how he had been unable to successfully curse or jinx the other man and how Grindelwald_ _had mentioned Graves doing something to his wand. In any case, the man's rage was so genuine that Percival knew that he couldn't be lying._

 _Swallowing hard, he steeled himself. "Do you think I want this? You're a fucking serial killer for Merlin's sake! You're deranged!" Graves shouted._

 _Grindelwald raised his wand, "Cru…" But stopped and instead shot off a jet of light at the mirror, shattering it and revealing a_ _brick wall behind it._

 _Graves supposed he was lucky that the bond would keep him from being tortured, but he couldn't bring himself to feel grateful. "So that's how you deal with your enemies? They speak back to you and you torture them? For all your talk about lifting wizards out of 'bondage' what you really mean is putting everyone under your control. If you think-"_

" _Enough!" Graves was pushed backwards, but the spell was weak. No stronger than a shove. Grindelwald_ _cursed and started to pace back and forth. "You…" But he broke off and shook his head._

" _If you honestly-"_

" _This changes nothing. You're still my prisoner."_

" _And you can't hurt me. Not much anyway."_

" _We'll see." It was a weak retort, but Grindelwald_ _disapparated_ _before Graves could respond._

 _Sighing, Graves sat down on the bed. He'd try finding a way out later (not that he wasn't sure it would prove_ _useless). Just then though, he felt like crying._

 _That night, when he fell asleep, he had the strangest dream. He was sitting in the kitchen of his hotel room, a glass of vodka in his hand. Across from him sat_ _a_ _high-ranking member of Grindelwald's band of followers, Selwyn._

" _So it went well then?" The other wizard said_

 _When Graves answered, his voice wasn't his own. "It could have gone better." He stared into the glass, not ready to meet the other's eyes._

" _Was he badly injured? Sent off a warning?"_

" _Not quite." He swished the vodka around before tossing it back into his throat and reaching for the bottle._

" _Well?" Selwyn's voice sounded impatient. "What happened?"_

" _It turns out…the director and I are soulmates."_

 _Silence hung between them and Graves continued to study the lovely liquid in his glass. Neither spoke for several seconds until…Selwyn gave a bark of laughter, and Graves looked up with a glare. If the man wasn't a valuable ally he'd consider cursing him on the spot. Come to think of it, a stinging hex wouldn't do too much damage and it would shut the man up…_

" _I don't see what's amusing." Graves said cooly, again in another man's voice._

" _Well...I…I suppose it isn't." Selwyn got himself under control, but still punctuated his words with the occasional chuckle. "Only it's ironic, isn't it? I mean the man you're becoming ends up being the one you're bound too?"_

" _Yes." Graves downed the drink, considered pouring another one, then set the glass down instead. He waved a wand that also wasn't his own, and vanished the bottle, enjoying the frown on his…no Grindelwald's follower's face. "The irony hasn't escaped me. But the fact remains it's a problem. After all-"_

" _Oh, I don't see how that is."_

" _I can't hurt the man, so how-"_

" _Well, have you considered that this is a gift?" Selwyn shook his head. "Graves is predisposed to like you!"_

" _He doesn't-"_

" _I know he doesn't now. But biologically, it'll be harder for him to fight you. Treat him well and he'll open up. You won't need to torture information out of him."_

 _Graves sighed. "I suppose you're right. But I don't like it. I don't want a soulmate."_

 _Selwyn shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "Well, I don't want to listen to you mope all night, but looks like we're both out of luck."_

 _And then the dream shifted and Graves was dreaming that Madame Picquery_ _had sent him overseas to Zonkos_ _and that it was imperative that he buy a fanged frisbee, only they're sold out._

…..

A hand was gently stroking his cheek and Percival sighed as he leaned into the touch. Then he remembered that he'd lain down alone and he jerked backwards, opening his eyes. Gellert didn't rise from his spot on the edge of the bed, but he frowned at Percival. They weren't in the...Graves stopped himself before he could think of the word. Who knew how much access to his thoughts Gellert had here? They also weren't in his or Gellert's bedroom back in America. The room actually looked similar to his office, but with bedroom furniture added.

"You're upset with me." Gellert had the nerve to sound both saddened and surprised.

"Yes!" Percival hissed, glancing around for something to jolt him. He had to wake up. Had to wake up. The longer he was asleep the easier it would be for Gellert to ferret out his location.

"Why? You didn't say-"

"Well, I couldn't could I? You don't like it when I complain." No water. No fire. He rose to his feet and moved to his desk. If its contents were anything like his actual desk...

"I suppose I can be...insensitive." Gellert admitted, his tone almost contrite, but Graves wasn't fooled. The only time Gellert apologized was when he had something to gain from it. "But I never meant to make you _this_ upset. Come; sit down. We can talk about this."

"You don't want to hear anything I have to say, Gellert. Not unless it tells you where I am."

Come on, come on! Percival tore through the drawers, tossing papers aside. None of this looked like his things. But this was his dream...if he focused hard enough...

"Now, that's just not true!" Gellert's voice was closer now, and Graves glanced over his shoulder to see the man walking toward him. "You _know_ how much I care for you! You're my soulmate!"

Finally, Percival's hand closed around what he was looking for and he stood, turning to face the other man. Graves looked into Gellert's eyes, wishing he could believe that they could work this out. That all Grindelwald had needed was the shock of his soulmate leaving him to make him listen. But he couldn't take that risk.

He smiled sadly. "But you don't want a soulmate, Gellert, do you? You want a pet." And then he jammed the letter opener into his thigh.

…..

Percival woke up howling, the pain carrying into the waking world. He tore his pants off, certain the wound would be there as well, but it wasn't. These dreams...these visits...they were always particularly vivid. Night had fallen and the storm had finally stopped. The uneasy feeling that came whenever he and Gellert were apart was increasing. It would never entirely leave, although it would get better over time. He and Grindelwald had scarcely been apart for about a month; it had been two days since he'd last seen the other wizard, apart from the dream. And this wasn't a routine absence, like when Gellert had business to attend to. His body sensed that this was intended to be a longer, possibly permanent absence and it was rebelling against his decision. There was nothing to do but to wait it out and let himself adjust.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

by theanonymouslibrarians

Note: I do not own Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Harry Potter, or any of their characters.

 _When Percival woke up, he was alone. He spent at least an hour searching every last inch of his cell for a way out and trying to perform some spell. But not even lumos_ _worked. There wasn't much else to do. The room was barren of any form of entertainment, containing only the necessities. Food appeared twice, hours apart, at what he could only assume was breakfast and lunch. Graves thought long and hard before eating. Normally he'd have held out in case the food was drugged, but, given the recent developments, he thought he'd be safe._

 _At least he had time to think things over. He'd met people who had soulmates. After meeting, it wasn't long until they became inseparable._ _But none of them had a murderer for a soulmate. Percival would fight this for as long as he could; at least long enough for him to be rescued and Grindelwald locked up. Then...then he could sort things out._

 _But that dream...it had been...it had been so strange... Percival wasn't a seer, but could he be having a vision? Dream or vision, Percival was certain that Grindelwald would try to use the bond to get...whatever he wanted. But two could play at that game._

 _By the time Grindelwald returned, Graves had already developed something of a plan and was prepared. He wished he didn't feel so pleased to see his captor, but put it down to having had no other human contact throughout the day._

" _I'm sorry for my...behavior earlier. I was in shock and I didn't react well."_ _Grindelwald looked contrite, standing in front of Graves. Graves didn't reply. "I'm sure neither of us were expecting...well, this." Grindelwald gestured between the two of them. "But now that we know...I suppose we might as well get to know one another. Would you do me the honor of joining me for dinner?"_

 _Graves inclined his head silently._

 _The dinner was stuffed shells with salad and garlic bread. Simple, but it was his favorite dish from his favorite restaurant in the town he was staying in._

" _You've been watching me." Graves said, as they sat down. Grindelwald raised a brow and Percival gestured to the food. "I don't think the bond would tell you my favorite food."_

 _Grindelwald gave him a small smile. "Astute as ever, Director...can I call you Percival?"_

" _You're holding me captive in a miniscule cell with only the bare necessities and you're worried about social niceties?"_

 _The other wizard sighed and leaned forward. "I_ am _sorry about the cell. You are correct that I've been watching you for some time. But I never..." He shook his head. "I'll admit, I felt a certain admiration for you... a connection...but I put that down to our numerous_ _similarities. I never-"_

" _Similarities?" Graves gave a harsh laugh. "You murder No-Majs_ _for fun and I work to put people like you in prison. What similarities?"_

 _Grindelwald frowned and there was a flash of the anger that Graves had witnessed the previous night. But it was gone in a moment. "Murder? For fun? My dear Director...Percival...it seems you don't know me at all! But I suppose we've never met, so that's to be expected. But we have time now...we'll talk and you'll see that we're not so different...you're so driven! Scarcely missing a day's work. Up early, going to bed late. And you truly care about your employees and the wizarding community. You never give an order to do something you yourself wouldn't be willing to carry out." The wizard smiled. "I'll admit we differ on what we see as the best course of action, but as my friends would tell you I take great pride in my work. I'm determined to make the world a better place for muggles and wizards alike."_

" _I'd find that easier to believe if I hadn't seen the mutilated bodies of your victims and watched their families fall apart."_

 _Grindelwald narrowed his eyes, leaning back in his chair. It was clear that he was searching for the right reply. A way to assure Percival either that those people had had to die or that they hadn't died by Grindelwald's hand. But anything he had to say was a lie. True some victims could have been killed by some of Grindelwald's followers and others by anyone. But it was clear that those who crossed Grindelwald inevitably disappeared and/or turned up dead. There were eyewitnesses to at least some of the murders Grindelwald had carried out personally. No matter what Grindelwald said about peace and freedom, he only meant that for those who would bow down to him._

" _Look, Grindelwald-"_

" _Gellert." The dark wizard interrupted. "Call me Gellert."_

" _Okay._ Gellert _. I...I_ _don't know what to make of this._ " _Percival touched his soulmark. "My head is whirling and I'm finding it a lot to take in. But I can't ignore the fact that you attacked me and, if I wasn't your soulmate, I'd be eating gruel right now."_

" _Not gruel." Gellert muttered. "But you're right. You deserve an explanation. And I'll give it to you. But perhaps we should have this conversation after dinner? No sense in your food getting cold."_

 _They finished the meal in silence. Afterward, Gellert vanished the plates and rose, gesturing for Percival to follow him from the kitchen and into the living room. It didn't escape Graves that he was being treated like a guest in his own hotel room, but he didn't mention it. His main goal tonight was to find out what Grindelwald wanted and get a feel for the man's personality. That would tell him how to proceed._

 _Grindelwald dropped onto the divan, gesturing for Graves to sit next to him. "You've heard, of course, of the attacks that are happening in New York?"_

" _Of course."_

 _Seraphina had written to him after every one, keeping him_ _up to date on every attack. A dark wizard or a beast. They weren't sure which. But they were the reason that Graves was supposed to leave...well, tomorrow. Of course_ _now, Graves reflected, M.A.C.U.S.A would be distracted with the disappearance_ _of their Director of Magical Security. Most likely the team of aurors_ _he was working with in Italy would have already reported him missing. That they hadn't found him in his own hotel room wasn't heartening, but maybe it wouldn't be too much longer..._

" _They're being done by an obscurus."_

" _An obscurus..." Graves stared at Gellert. There hadn't been a confirmed case of an obscurus existing in America for centuries..."But that's-"_

" _It's rare. I know. But it does happen. I knew one once." Gellert's eyes took on a faraway_ _look. "A young girl. The sister of a...a_ _friend. She'd been hurt by muggles when younger and that caused her...well, she suffered. And died in the end." He leaned forward placing a hand on Graves' shoulder and spoke in an urgent tone. "So,_ _you can see why it's imperative that this child be found. Be helped. The pain he or she must be going through! The danger the child poses to everyone if he or she can't be taught to control the obscurus...to harness it."_

 _Graves reached up and removed Gellert's hand from his shoulder, dropping it and scooting back. "And the sheer power such a child would bring to your movement."_

" _You wound me, Percival." And Gellert truly did look hurt. "I'm not...I won't deny that some of my activities are...controversial. But this one...I couldn't save Ariana. That was her name. She was so young when she died. And the grief my friend went through...it_ _nearly drove him mad. I'm afraid he's a shell of his former self now. We don't speak much. But this is a chance to save someone else from suffering that fate."_

 _There was a look of what seemed to be genuine turmoil in Gellert's eyes. His forehead was creased as if he were in pain. Percival didn't know much about Grindelwald's past. Maybe he truly had had a friend whose sister had died from an obscurus. But he'd heard enough of Grindelwald's propaganda to know that the man was a master at twisting facts. Weaving the truth in with lies or simply leaving out key details so that his message seemed that much more appealing and trustworthy to those who were unsatisfied with the status quo. And, even if Grindelwald was interested in saving the obscurial, Percival would sooner trust a basilisk with a child than hand one over to Grindelwald._

" _So_ _you want me to help you find the child? I would have responded better if you hadn't kidnapped me."_

" _Yes...and no." Grindelwald looked away and shifted slightly so that he was partly turned away from Graves. "You're a powerful man, Mr. Graves. Descendant of Gondolphus_ _Graves, founder of M.A.C.U.S.A. Director of Magical Security. Your name opens doors. I doubt there's a more influential man in all of America. You_ _have access to classified information, connections in high places. Plus,_ _your title ensures that you can come and go as you please, murmuring_ _only some excuse about a meeting or a case to avoid questioning."_

" _And if you want my help, you'll need to let me go."_

" _I'm afraid..." Gellert glanced up at Percival, and his voice took on a slightly pleading tone. "I didn't realize you were my soulmate. If I had, I would have gone about this differently. But I've gone too far to go back."_

" _Of course_ _you haven't." Percival leaned in, placing a hand over Gellert's. He lowered his voice to an understanding tone, trying to fill his eyes with affection and sympathy. "You haven't hurt me, yet. Let me go and we can work this out together. We need to work together now. We're bound no matter what and-"_

" _I'm taking your place." Gellert blurted out._

" _What?" Percival narrowed his eyes in confusion._

" _I..." Grindelwald swallowed, looking forth and back between his lap and Graves' face. "I've been watching you for a while now. Observing your behavior. Learning your history. Today, I met with your colleagues." And before Graves' eyes, Grindelwald's face started to shift, until Percival was looking at a mirror image of himself. "And I'm afraid I plan to continue for quite some time." This last bit was said almost apologetically._

" _You...I..." Percival did the only thing he could think of and punched Gellert in the jaw._

" _Percival!" Grindelwald cried out, but Percival was already on his feet._

 _Using every ounce of strength_ _he had, he summoned object after object. Bookcases, chairs, lamps. Everything, and hurled them toward the dark wizard, who was waving his wand frantically, trying to avoid getting hit. Percival ignored the gut-wrenching feeling that told him that he shouldn't be doing this. That he was a monster for even thinking about hurting his own soulmate. Every spell he could think of that would keep Grindelwald busy he used. And Graves turned and ran. He didn't need to get far. Just to the lobby. Or the street. Far enough to make a scene. Then, his team would investigate and they'd realize something was wrong._

 _The door flew open as he reached it, and Graves dashed out into the hall. He opened his mouth to yell, and then he felt something hit the back of his knees and he fell to the floor. A curious lethargy started to overtake him_ _and he couldn't make his mouth work. Invisible hands dragged him back inside the hotel room. He lay there_ _on the floor, unable to do much more than twitch a finger. He knew that he should be furious, should fight this. But Percival just didn't have the energy._

' _Everything is fine,' a voice seemed to whisper in his head. 'Just relax. No need to get up. Just lay there.'_

 _And Graves couldn't make himself so much as disagree with it. He looked up languidly as Gellert stepped past him into the hall. Then the other wizard returned and Percival could hear the lock click and the bolt sliding into place. And then Gellert was standing over him. The dark wizard's clothes were torn and he now sported several cuts and bruises, but this fact too didn't elicit an emotional reaction from Graves._

 _Grindelwald looked down at him, his expression one of pleased amazement. "Such power! I can't even bring myself to be angry at you...you're...you are..." He shook his head. "You're upset. This is a lot to take in and a big adjustment. We can talk later. After you've had time to digest the news."_

 _Percival's eyes began to feel heavy and before he knew it_ _they were closed. But his thoughts and mood switched then. He was looking down at himself, his body now in a large comfy bed. He had had no idea the auror_ _was this powerful! Of course_ _Gellert had been prepared for a formidable opponent. He'd seen the man in action, but_ _never in a wandless duel. The man was almost Gellert's equal. And possibly the almost was only because he was held in place by M.A.C.U.S.A's_ _laws. This changed things._

 _Even before the discovery of their bond, Gellert hadn't planned on killing Graves. First, he would have attempted to win him over to his cause. No sense in wasting a powerful, well-respected wizard from an old pureblood family. Then, if that didn't work, he would have locked Graves away, prying the information he needed from his mind. Even when Grindelwald had everything he needed, the man would have still had some use as a hostage. Now, though, torture and trading the man was out of the question. Graves was Grindelwald's soulmate. Gellert_ would _persuade the man to join him. The power the two of them could wield...the followers that would join them just on the Graves' name alone..._

 _Graves' mind shifted and he was outside. The sun was shining bright and he was lying in the grass on a hill. Next to him lay a boy he'd never seen before, but whose name his mind supplied: Albus. The light glinted off the boy's auburn hair. He had never felt so in awe of another human being before. Never cared about anyone. Not like this. The things they could accomplish!_

" _We'll do it together." Graves said in a voice that wasn't his own. "We'll find them together. And then we'll bring them back and we'll show the wizarding world how things should be."_


End file.
